18 February 2020
After seven years of searching, the Wild Carp Trust has secured its first conservation pool.
Known as Cowslip Pool, the 1-acre water was dug 28 years ago when a pregnant cow fell into a bog on the edge of a field. The pool, which has until recently been managed as a syndicate trout fishery, is spring-fed, crystal clear, has depths up to 15 feet and is rich with weed and aquatic insect life. It contains only trout and sticklebacks, so will be perfect for stocking with an old strain of carp from the Wild Carp Trust’s planned conservation breeding programme.
The Trust plans to remove any remaining trout that could eat young carp, and is consulting with the Angling Trust regarding otter fencing and providing protection from avian predators.
Steven Murgatroyd, the Wild Carp Trust’s Cowslip Pool Trustee, said: “Securing our first conservation pool is the biggest achievement for the Trust to date and will be the catalyst for our breeding programme and fundraising activities. It’s likely that we will keep the pool semi-fallow for the coming year or two, until such time as we are ready to stock it with an old strain of carp secured from one of the UK’s known wildie waters.”
The Trust will be seeking additional conservation pools to house other strains of heritage carp, so please contact us if you know of a suitable water.
